Nay Nay—Stinky Pants!
Some life-lessons you have to learn the hard way
by Eunice Cooke,Arnprior, Ont.STORYTIMEOnce upon a time,an eleven-year-
old boy named Nathan had almost fin-
ished his homework assignment on likes
and dislikes. His “likes” list read: Hockey,
my coach and my teammate Amanda.
Dislikes: Airing my hockey bag stuff, and
my nickname, Nay Nay (so babyish!).
Closing his laptop, Nathan went to bed.
He had early morning hockey practice the
next day.
After practice, his mom reminded him
to air out the stuff in his hockey bag. This
chore involved spreading everything out
in the sunshine on the back deck.
“I will in a minute,” Nathan promised.
“It’s your responsibility,” Mom said,
firmly.
“I know,” answered Nathan,
but he started playing a game on
his phone and forgot yet again.
In the locker room at the
rink the following
week, the Weasels
—Nathan’s
team—were
suiting up for a
very important
game against
the Badgers.
When Nathan
lugged his hockey
bag in and opened
it to get his gear, his teammates and
coach gasped and pinched their noses.
Even Amanda held her nose and
looked disgusted.
“It smells like dirty socks,” ex-
claimed Brian, Nathan’s best friend.
“No, worse, like rotten eggs,” said
another.
“Like a sewer!”“Or dead fish!”
Nathan’s face began to turn red at all
these taunts from his teammates, but he
continued to suit up. He had to for the
sake of the team. He was a very fast skater
and his coach was counting on him.
“Nay Nay—Stinky Pants!” the Weasels
chanted over and over. Even Amanda
joined in.
“Get out there,” ordered the coach.
“Maybe the fresh air will blow some of the
stink off you, Nay Nay.”
Nathan flinched on hearing his hated
nickname coming from his coach. Even
his ears, which were sticking out of his
helmet, turned red. He couldn’t look at
Amanda.
Out on the ice, there was a conference
between the coaches at the end of the first
period and Nathan found his stinky self
sitting in the penalty box.
“Sorry,” said his coach, “but your smell
is just too distracting.”
When it looked as though the Weasels
were getting beaten by the Badgers, how-
ever, and the final period was almost over,
Nathan’s coach relented and put him back
in the game.
After all his rest in the penalty box,
Nathan was raring to go; all the crowd saw
was a blue streak as he scored the winning
goal in the Badgers’ net.
In the locker room, the Weasels had
a new chant for Nathan with lots of fist
bumps and helmet rubs, “Yay, Yay, Nate!
Yay, Yay, Nate! Yay, Yay, Nate!”
Even Amanda joined in.
At home, Nathan did two things. He
spread out all of his hockey gear to air out
on the deck—without being told. Then he
changed his Likes and Dislikes lists. Likes:
Hockey, my coach, Amanda and my new
nickname. Dislikes: none. ■ILL
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